Snakes are the most feared animal in the city, but only a few can hurt humans and all of them prefer to avoid people. In fact, snakes are a beneficial part of Thailand’s ecosystem. Many of Bangkok’s snakes feed on mice and rats, helping control those rodent populations and reducing crop loss and the spread of disease. Some of the smaller snakes eat insect larvae and help to control ant and termite populations in the city.
However, every year several people in Bangkok are bitten by dangerously venomous snakes. For information on what to do if you are bit by a potentially dangerous snake, go to the snakebite page.
Green Snakes
Green camouflage is an adaptation for some snakes that live in bushes and trees. Many people believe that green snakes are dangerous, but in fact only the vipers are (mildly) venomous and they can be distinguished by the shape of their head.
Brown or Black Snakes
Snakes that spend their time near the ground or on large trees tend to be drabber in color. Here are a few snakes who are primarily brown or black without significant markings
Banded Snakes
Many ground and water snakes have brownish bodies marked with various types of bands. Many species vary in the tone and intensity of their colors, so the most important characteristics to pay attention to are the size of their bodies and the shape and distinctness of their bands.
Blotched Snakes
There are a number of brownish Bangkok snakes with various blotches on the body. Most are easy to distinguish by the shape and position of the blotches.
Striped Snakes
A few of Bangkok’s snakes have striped patterns
Worm-like Snakes
These “blind” snakes can be distinguished from worms because they have eyes, a tongue, and hard scales. Their lack of features makes them difficult to identify, and so a scale count is often necessary to tell the species apart.
Hello. Can you help me identify this snake. I saw a medium to small snake in my garden. It was light brown/tan and had black zigzag like markings on it sides. Very pronounced. It had a slight orange tinge on the head. I took for a python but could it be venomous? Viper? The head was not particularly triangular.
Hmmm….it does sound a little like a Reticulated Python but even the babies are at least 2 feet long.
Perhaps a Checkered Keelback?
Or some species of Bronzeback?
I saw a snake near my house…about 50 cm long…I took a picture of it. It was not that aggressive…brown with net shape…had a triangular head. Can I put the picture in the comment field ?
I found a small dark snake in my kitchen, it has thin banded offset markings yellow on the underbody and orange banding on the upper side of the body. About 30cm in length with a pronounced thicker yellow band across the head and a short orange tail
Possibly a pipe snake?
I found a smallish snake outside my gate. Possibly around 18″ long. Lightish grey body with a red to copper coloured band around its neck. When approached it took the pose of a cobra neck puffed out. No idea what it is. I took photo of it but can’t find any snake that matches it. Any suggestions please.
It sounds like a False Cobra, Pseudoxenodon macrops. They are extremely variable in color so some of the pictures you looked at might have been other color variations. Send me the photo if you can.
(the other main possibility is an Assam Mountain Snake)
Hi, this morning in our garden in Bangkok a largish snake with longitudinal yellow and black stripes, with the yellow ones wider than the black. I couldn’t s the whole snake, but the loop of the body I saw was probably 5-6cm in diameter. Our cat was bothering it, and after laying still for a while, it suddenly whipped away very quickly into a pile of dead leaves and branches (just before I could get a picture!).
Could it have been a Copperhead Racer? https://bangkokherps.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/copperhead-racer/
It sounds a little like an Indo-Chinese Sand Snake, but these are rare: https://bangkokherps.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/indo-chinese-sand-snake/
One other possibility is a Long-tailed Sun Skink, which would look like a snake if you only saw part of it: https://bangkokherps.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/long-tailed-sun-skink/
From the pictures, it looks like a Copperhead Racer, and also regarding the behavior described. I think that’s what it was – hard to tell the difference between yellow and a yellowish tan in the shadowy undergrowth where I saw it. Also the size described for the racer would be about what this one must have been, a couple of meters to judge by the girth, though I didn’t see the whole thing.
Thanks for your help!
That one makes the most sense to me in terms of its prevalence in the city too.
Hi. I am in Phitsanulok and was about to close me hotel room when i heard hissing sound, turned around and there was big snake just 1 meter away from me. I started to scream and jump and ran away and also snake was more like frightend than aggressive because it went right towards the jungle. It was darker grayish color. At least 1.5-2 meters tall. Snake was pretty “fat” or big, and head was also not pointy or triangular or out standing, but more like his body.
What could it be?
A rat snake is a high possibility. Cobra is also possible.
We were at Prasarat museum and my wife got a face to face with a big eyed blue green snake in a tree looking at her. My wife came howling out from under that tree.
I opened mty pumphouse eletric box to find a snake skin probably? 40-50 cm. with very pronouced diamond shaped head. Are there other snakes wiyh that head shape besides vipers. Phang Nga Thanks
Whip Snakes have the most pronounced diamond shaped heads.
thanks for this awesome website! please add the Malayan pit viper here
It’s here:
Hello, I’m looking for help identifying a snake I saw on the trail in Mae Hong son yesterday.
It was around a metre long, slender and stayed in place as we approached, at first adopting a defensive posture with its head raised and full eye contact. Here is a video https://photos.app.goo.gl/DbUdmRzeFPkjSvbk8
Looks like Golden Tree Snake.
Looks like the one, thanks Jonathan